The invention relates to a vehicle steering wheel.
Steering wheels having an expensive appearance increasingly have a panel or cover of hard material, visible from outside, on the steering wheel rim, preferably on the inner face of the steering wheel rim facing the hub. Such panels generally have on their outer face an imitation of wood, which is intended to give the steering wheel a higher-quality appearance. The fastening of such panels to the steering wheel is complicated and expensive. The embedding of the panel into the foam casing of the steering wheel rim or the direct attachment on the steering wheel skeleton, more precisely on the steering wheel rim of the steering wheel skeleton, are provided as fastening possibilities.
The invention provides a vehicle steering wheel in which the fastening of the panel can take place quickly, simply and at a favorable cost. This is achieved in a vehicle steering wheel which comprises a steering wheel skeleton encased in foam and consisting of a steering wheel rim, a hub and at least one spoke connecting the hub with the steering wheel rim. The steering wheel further comprises a panel which is visible from outside on the steering wheel rim. A clip is provided which is constructed as a separate part and engages on the steering wheel rim. The panel is fastened to the steering wheel rim by means of the at least one clip, and the panel together with the clip completely surround the steering wheel rim. The panel and the clip form a unit which fully embraces the steering wheel rim in the circumferential direction, seen in a cross-sectional view through the rim. In steering wheels known hitherto, the steering wheel skeletons had to be coordinated with the fastening of the panel, which made the skeleton more complicated in its construction. In the steering wheel according to the invention, on the other hand, the clip is a separate part which is only fastened to the steering wheel skeleton when required and in addition can be positioned at various points. Through the use of the clip, a greater flexibility is achieved in the production of different steering wheels with and without a panel, or with various panels. In addition, it is possible through the flexible clip to hold the clips on the steering wheel skeleton and/or the panel on the clip permanently with pre-stressing, so that a loosening of the parts from each other or a vibrating after several years of driving operation can be avoided which is achieved by the panel and the clip completely surrounding the steering wheel rim.
Preferably, the panel and the clip are connected with each other by means of a clip connection, i.e. a very simple type of fastening which requires little installation time.
The clip can embrace the steering wheel rim and is thereby securely positioned. For example, provision is made for this that the clip, according to a preferred embodiment, has a C-shaped cross-sectional profile. The panel can engage on the outer or inner face on the free edges, lying opposite each other. Through the C-shaped profile with the free edges, the clip achieves a sufficiently high flexibility in order to realize the desired clip connection
Hook-shaped extensions on the panel engage behind the free edges, in accordance with the preferred embodiment, to provide a secure connection.
According to another development of the invention, the panel presses the free edges towards each other so that it endeavors to close the clip which is open in cross-section. The clip and panel thereby reciprocally secure each other on the steering wheel skeleton.
The clip is of course also encased in foam, the panel, the clip and the foam casing being coordinated with each other such that with the steering wheel encased in foam, the panel can be clipped onto the clip from outside. Preferably, this clipping on should still be possible even after a covering of the steering wheel with leather, if a covering with leather takes place at all, in order to avoid the panel having to be integrated into the process of encasing in foam.
The clip can in addition have a dual function by on the one hand arresting the panel and on the other hand arresting an additional mass on the steering wheel rim. Separate additional masses, fastened at desired sites on the steering wheel rim, are intended to increase the inert mass of the vehicle steering wheel as a whole and to largely prevent vibrations.
Between the clip and the steering wheel rim, a form-fitting connection can also be provided, so that the positions of the parts to each other are fixed. This prevents faulty installations.